Polymer encapsulations for item shipping

ABSTRACT

Described are systems, methods, and apparatus for replacing the corrugated containers and dunnage to facilitate packaging of items in foam containers, referred to as “polymer encapsulations,” that can be used to protect and contain the item during shipment. When one or more items are ordered for delivery to a destination, the item(s) is picked from inventory and a rapidly setting polymer foam is injected around the bagged item to encapsulate and protect the item. For example, at packing, rather than placing the item in a corrugated container, temporary walls may be positioned around the bagged item and a pre-polymer injected into the space between the walls that surround the item such that a polymer forms that encases the item. After the polymer sets, the walls are retracted and the item is protected by the formed polymer encapsulation and available for transport to the destination.

BACKGROUND

Many companies package items and/or groups of items together for a variety of purposes, such as e-commerce and mail-order companies that package items (e.g., books, CDs, apparel, food, etc.) to be shipped to fulfill orders from customers. Retailers, wholesalers, and other product distributors (which may collectively be referred to as distributors) typically maintain an inventory of various items that may be ordered by clients or customers. This inventory may be maintained and processed at a materials handling facility which may include, but is not limited to, one or more of: warehouses, distribution centers, cross-docking facilities, order fulfillment facilities, packaging facilities, shipping facilities, or other facilities or combinations of facilities for performing one or more functions of material (inventory) handling.

When one or more items are ordered for delivery to a destination, the item(s) is picked from inventory, a corrugated container that is of a size sufficient to contain the item(s) is selected, the item(s) is packed into the container, dunnage is added to protect the item(s) during shipment, the container is closed and sealed, and the item is shipped to a destination in the container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description is set forth with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number appears.

FIG. 1 illustrates a broad view of the operations of a materials handling facility, according to an implementation.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example view of a bagging station and a polymer encapsulation station, according to an implementation.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a polymer encapsulation that includes an item for shipping, according to an implementation.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a stacking configuration, according to an implementation.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating an example polymer encapsulation determination process, according to an implementation.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating an example polymer encapsulation process, according to an implementation.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an example computer system, according to an implementation.

While implementations are described herein by way of example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the implementations are not limited to the examples or drawings described. It should be understood that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit implementations to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope as defined by the appended claims. The headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of the description or the claims. As used throughout this application, the word “may” is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words “include,” “including,” and “includes” mean including, but not limited to.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Described are systems, methods, and apparatus for replacing the corrugated containers and dunnage to facilitate packaging of items in foam containers, referred to herein as “polymer encapsulations,” that can be used to protect and contain the item during shipment. When one or more items are ordered for delivery to a destination, the item(s) is picked from inventory, placed in a protective bag, such as a polyethylene bag, and a rapidly setting pre-polymer is injected around the bagged item that will polymerize into a foam to encapsulate and protect the item. For example, at packing, rather than placing the item in a corrugated container, temporary walls may be positioned around the bagged item and a pre-polymer injected into the space between the walls that surround the item. The injected pre-polymer polymerizes into a polymer encapsulation that contains the item and has the approximate shape of the space between the walls. After the polymer sets, the walls are retracted and the item is protected by the formed polymer encapsulation and available for transport to the destination. The polymer encapsulation provides protection for the item and operates as the container for the item, thereby removing the need for traditional dunnage or corrugated containers.

In some implementations, the item may be placed on a preformed base and the pre-polymer injected around the item and on top of the base. The bonding between the preformed base and the polymer provides an access point such that the item can be accessed upon delivery. In still other examples, an access mechanism may be included prior to or during encapsulation of the item, so that the item can be removed from the polymer encapsulation upon delivery. For example, the access mechanism may be a strong flexible material, such as a cord, wire, plastic, string, etc., that is included on or in the preformed base and/or included on the flexible package and remains partially exposed after the item is encased in the polymer encapsulation. When the item is to be removed, the exposed portion of the access mechanism may be pulled, thereby disrupting or tearing the polymer encapsulation and providing access to the item.

A packaging information system configured to facilitate picking, packing and/or shipping operations may include various components used to facilitate efficient and/or cost-effective operations in a materials handling facility. For example, in various implementations, a packaging information system may include a planning service, a product dimension estimator, and one or more polymer encapsulating stations. For example, the planning service may provide information as to the size and/or shape of the polymer encapsulation that is to be formed around an ordered item. The size and shape may be based on, for example, the size of the item, the fragility of the item, the planned position for the polymer encapsulated item in a stacking configuration within a transportation unit, etc.

In some implementations, the size, shape, color, and/or polymer material used to encapsulate ordered items may also be dependent on the customer to whom the item is to be shipped, an applicable service level agreement, the destination of the item, the carrier selected for transporting the item, a fragility of the item, a weight of the item, and/or an environmental constraint associated with the item and/or the transport of the item (e.g., a restriction on the temperature and/or humidity at which the item should be held during transport).

As used herein, the term “item package” may refer to a single item to be stored, shipped, or otherwise enclosed within a polymer encapsulation, alone, or to multiple items that have been grouped for shipping, storing or for any other operations within a materials handling facility, such as for storing in inventory or transporting to a packing or shipping station.

The term “polymer encapsulation” refers to any dimensionally-constrained polymer formed environment that may encompass one or more items. The polymer encapsulation may be any type of polymer or other injectable material that can be used to surround and protect an item during transport. For example, the polymer may be polyethylene (low and high density), polyurethane, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyimide, polyesters, silicones, siloxanes, polyvinylchloride, phenolics, polyetherimides, polyphenylene oxide, polychloropren, epoxies, polyacrylates, cellulose acetate, etc., or be a copolymer of these different polymer classes. Likewise, the polymer material used may be biodegradable such that the bonds degrade through natural processes, such as hydrolysis, in the presence of moisture and/or heat. Likewise, the polymer material may be entirely composed of, utilize or include natural molecules, such as polysaccharides found in starch and cellulose, polyamides found in proteins, combinations of natural materials such as starch, cellulose fiber, and calcium carbonate, etc. Use of such natural materials promotes decomposition of the polymer encapsulation, thereby making the polymer encapsulation recyclable and/or compostable. As discussed further below, the polymer encapsulation, in addition to being formed of any one or more types of polymers, may be of any size, shape, density, and/or color.

As discussed further below, a polymer encapsulation may be formed by injecting or blowing one or more pre-polymers into a cavity formed around an item package that is to be encased in the polymer encapsulation such that the pre-polymer will foam and phase transition into a solid polymer encapsulation that encases the item.

In some implementations, as the pre-polymer is injected into the cavity, one or more blowing agents may be added or mixed with the pre-polymer to produce a cellular structure within the formed polymer encapsulation as the pre-polymer phase transitions from a liquid form to a solid polymer. The resulting cellular structure reduces the density and weight of the formed polymer encapsulation, and may increase the mechanical strength of the polymer encapsulation. The introduced blowing agents may be physical, chemical, or a combination thereof. For example, a physical blowing agent of liquid carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrogen, air, etc., may be added, and/or a chemical blowing agent, such as isocyanate and water, hydrazine, sodium bicarbonate, etc., may be added as the blowing agent to form different densities of cells within the polymer encapsulation.

In some implementations, a volatile hydrocarbon or other low molecular weight solvent with a low boiling point may be added to form cells within the resulting polymer encapsulation. For example, propane, butane, isopentane, methylene chloride etc., may be added as the pre-polymer is injected into the cavity. As the polymer foams, the added solvent boils off, creating cells in the resulting polymer encapsulation. In still other examples, one or more volatile fluorocarbons may be added to form the cells within the polymer encapsulation as the polymer foams.

The term “transportation unit” may refer to any environment onto or into which items and/or polymer encapsulations may be stored or placed for conveying or transporting. For example, a transportation unit may be a pallet, truck, trolley, trailer, gaylord, partial-gaylord, railroad car, etc.

A block diagram of a materials handling facility which, in one implementation, may be an order fulfillment facility configured to utilize various systems and methods described herein, is illustrated in FIG. 1. In this example, multiple customers 100 may submit orders 120 to a distributor, where each order 120 specifies one or more items from inventory 130 to be shipped to the customer or to another entity specified in the order. An order fulfillment facility typically includes receiving operations 180 for receiving shipments of stock from various vendors and storing the received stock in inventory 130. To fulfill the orders 120, the one or more items specified in each order may be retrieved or “picked” from inventory 130 (which may also be referred to as stock storage) in the order fulfillment facility, as indicated by picking operations 140. In some implementations, the items in an order may be divided into multiple item packages for fulfillment by a planning service before item package fulfillment instructions are generated (not shown).

In some implementations, the picking operations 140 may communicate with a central control system, and receive a sequence for which items of an item package should be picked and delivered to a sorting and bagging operation 150. The central control system, in some instances, may communicate with a stacking engine that is part of the shipping operations 170. The stacking engine may determine the sequence in which ordered items should be picked so that they will progress through picking operations 140, sorting and bagging operations 150, and polymer encapsulation operations 160 and be routed by routing operations 165 to arrive at a stack station within the shipping operations 170 in a manner that will facilitate stacking of the polymer encapsulations that contain the items according to a planned stacking configuration. The stacking configuration may be determined by a stacking engine such that the stacking configuration will be stable and potentially allow stacking of additional polymer encapsulations on or in the transportation unit.

The stacking engine may provide the picking and sorting sequence for items to the central control system, directly to the picking operations 140 and/or directly to the sorting and bagging operations 150, so that the ordered items may be picked, sorted, and bagged according to the sequence specified by the stacking engine.

In this example, picked items may be delivered to one or more stations in the order fulfillment facility for sorting operations 150 into their respective orders or item packages, bagged, and then transferred to one or more polymer encapsulation operations 160 for encasing the items into polymer encapsulations. Any type of flexible material may be utilized as a protective bag. For example, the protective bag may be a polyethylene bag, a plastic bag, etc. In other implementations, the protective bag may be a plastic wrapping that is placed around the item prior to the item being encased in a polymer encapsulation. In general, the protective bag may be any material that separates or generates a physical and/or chemical barrier between the item and the pre-polymer that is used to form the polymer encapsulation around the item so that portions of the polymer do not contact and adhere to the item.

In different configurations, one or more items of an item package may be placed in the same bag and/or placed in separate bags. For example, in some implementations, each item of an item package may be placed in its own protective bag prior to the items being encased in a polymer encapsulation so that each item is individually protected by the polymer encapsulation, both from exterior forces and from other encased items. In other implementations, multiple items of an item package may be placed in the same protective bag prior to being encased in a polymer encapsulation.

When the item is placed into the protective bag, the protective bag may be closed or otherwise sealed so that the injected pre-polymer that is used to form the polymer encapsulation around the bagged item does not enter the interior of the protective bag and contact and adhere to the item(s) in the protective bag. In some implementations, a gas may be introduced into the protective bag prior to sealing the protective bag so that the gas is entrained within the protective bag. When the polymer encapsulation is formed around the bagged item, a void is created within the polymer encapsulation in which the item(s) is encased. The gas may be air, oxygen, hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, etc. In implementations where the entrained gas is lighter than air, the overall weight of the polymer encapsulation may be reduced and, thus, the cost to transport the item may be reduced.

In other implementations, gasses may be removed or vacuumed from the bag and the protective bag sealed so that the protective bag is compressed around the item(s) within the protective bag. In such an implementation, when the polymer encapsulation is formed around the bagged item, there is no void between the item and the polymer encapsulation. Removing gasses from the protective bag results in the item being securely positioned within the polymer encapsulation when formed so it does not move within the polymer encapsulation.

The routing operations 165 may sort formed polymer encapsulations that contain items to one of two or more stack stations within the shipping operations 170. At the stack stations, polymer encapsulations may be stacked onto or into a transportation unit according to a stacking configuration and shipped to the customers 100.

The package routing operations 165 may communicate with the central control system and receive an indication of a stack station to which each polymer encapsulation is to be routed. The central control system, in some implementations, may communicate with the stacking engine. The stacking engine may determine a stack station for each polymer encapsulation dependent on the destination of the encased items, the size of a polymer encapsulation and/or the size of other polymer encapsulations allocated to the same stack station.

The stacking engine may provide an indication of the stack station to the central control system, and/or directly to the package routing operations 165, so that the polymer encapsulation may be diverted to an appropriate stack station within shipping operations 170. For example, the stacking engine may determine stacking configurations for multiple different transportation units, such as pallets, so that the stacks of polymer encapsulations are stable. When determining stacking configurations for multiple transportation units, the stacking engine may opportunistically route polymer encapsulations of various sizes to different stack stations for stacking onto the various transportation units. In some implementations, the stacking engine may provide feedback to the polymer encapsulation operations 160 to alter a size and/or shape of a planned polymer encapsulation to include in a stacking configuration so that the stacking configuration stability is improved and/or to increase the quantity of polymer encapsulations that can be stacked on or in a transportation unit. For example, rather than making all of the polymer encapsulations rectangular in shape with approximately ninety degree angles, the stacking engine may send instructions to the polymer encapsulation operations 160 to form a top surface of a polymer encapsulation with a curved edge so it will fit in an upper corner of a transportation unit.

In still other examples, the polymer encapsulations may be formed such that, when the polymer encapsulations are stacked and/or stored together, they interlock or join, thereby further improving the stability of the stacking configuration. For example, the tops of the polymer encapsulations may include male extensions and the bottoms of the polymer encapsulations may include female indentations. When polymer encapsulations are stacked, the male extensions mate with the female indentations, thereby interlocking the polymer encapsulations together. In other examples, different forms or interconnects may be utilized.

By altering the size and/or shape of the polymer encapsulations based on the size and shape of the encased items and/or the size and shape of the transportation unit in which the polymer encapsulation is to be placed, the utilization of the transportation unit can be improved.

In some implementations, to aid in routing of polymer encapsulations to different transportation units, the polymer encapsulations may be color coded. For example, when the pre-polymer is injected around the bagged item to be encased, a colored dye (e.g., red, blue, green, orange, yellow) may be introduced that colors the polymer as it sets. During routing operations 165, polymer encapsulations may be routed according to color.

In still other examples, other materials, such as fillers, identifiers, decorative materials, etc., may also be introduced and included in the polymer encapsulation. For example, in addition to or as an alternative to color, other decorative materials (e.g., glitter, confetti) may be added as the pre-polymer is injected around the bagged item to be encased such that the decorative material is entrained in the formed polymer encapsulation. In another example, one or more identifiers, such as a radio frequency identification (“RFID”) tag may be included and encased in the polymer encapsulation to aid in tracking and/or identification of the polymer encapsulation.

Note that not every fulfillment facility may include both sorting and polymer encapsulation stations. In certain implementations, picked items may be transferred directly to a polymer encapsulation station, while in other implementations picked items may be transported to a combination sort, bag and polymer encapsulation station. This may result in a stream and/or batches of picked items for multiple incomplete or complete orders being delivered to a sort and bag station for sorting and bagging operations 150 into their respective item packages for polymer encapsulation and shipping, according to some implementations. In other implementations, items and/or polymer encapsulations that have been formed around bagged items may be routed directly to a shipping operation 170 and/or stacking stations from receiving operations 180.

Still further, in some implementations, items may be bagged and polymer encapsulated as part of the receiving operations 180 such that the items are stored in inventory 130 after the items have been encased in a polymer encapsulation. In such an implementation, when an item is ordered, it may be picked from inventory and routed directly to shipping operations 170 for shipment.

Because portions of an item package may be received at different times, sorting and bagging operations 150 and polymer encapsulation operations 160 may have to wait for one or more items of some item packages to be delivered to the sort and pack station(s) before processing of the item package completes. Likewise, if items arrive at sorting and bagging operations 150 out of the sequence specified by the stacking engine, those items may be held at sorting and bagging operations 150 until other items arrive before releasing the items to polymer encapsulation operations 160. Releasing items from the sorting and bagging operations 150 in the sequence provided by the stacking engine allows for items to be picked in parallel by multiple picking agents and delivered to sorting and bagging independent of one another without disrupting the sequence specified by the stacking engine. By restoring the sequence during sorting and bagging operations 150, the items will be delivered to the polymer encapsulation operations 160 and arrive at the stack stations in, or approximately in, the sequence specified by the stacking engine so that the polymer encapsulations encasing the items can be stacked according to the planned stacking configuration.

In implementations with multiple polymer encapsulation stations in the polymer encapsulation operations 160, items may be encased in polymer encapsulations and delivered to routing operations out of sequence due to the different speeds at which the polymer encapsulation stations may encase the items and/or if the items were not sequenced during sorting and bagging operations 150. In such instances, the routing operations 165 may include a buffer, such as a loop conveyor belt, that can be used to temporarily hold polymer encapsulations before delivery to a stack station. For example, as polymer encapsulations are provided from polymer encapsulation operations 160 to routing operations 165, the polymer encapsulations may remain on a loop conveyor belt, or other temporary holding zone, and be released to the shipping operations 170 in the sequence order specified by the stacking engine.

In another implementation, the polymer encapsulations may be released from routing operations 165 as they arrive and, if needed, buffered or otherwise placed in a temporary holding zone within the shipping operations 170 until they are stacked according to the stacking configuration provided by the stacking engine. For example, the polymer encapsulations may be received at a stack station and either placed on a transportation unit according to the stacking configuration or placed in a temporary holding zone until they are ready to be added to the stacking configuration.

In some implementations, polymer encapsulations may be retained in a buffer, such as on the loop conveyor belt or the temporary holding zone discussed above, until a determined cure time has elapsed or desired cure degree has been reached. A cure time corresponds to an amount of time necessary for the polymer material to toughen or harden into a solid state by cross-linking polymer chains. For example, a time necessary for the polymer encapsulation to reach approximately a 75% cure degree may be determined and used as the cure time that is to elapse before the polymer encapsulation is released for stacking or transport. In other implementations, the cure time may correspond to a higher or lower cure degree depending on the structural strength to be reached by the polymer encapsulation. Likewise, the cure time needed for a polymer encapsulation to reach a desired cure degree may vary depending on the pre-polymer configuration and/or external factors (e.g., heat) introduced into the polymerization or curing process.

While the above example is described with respect to polymer encapsulations of ordered items and stacking of polymer encapsulations, in some implementations, polymer encapsulation operations may be used in conjunction with traditional packaging of items in containers such that some ordered items are picked and routed to packing stations for packing in traditional containers while other items are picked and routed to polymer encapsulation stations for encasing in a polymer encapsulation. In such a configuration, traditional containers containing items and polymer encapsulations encasing items may be stacked and/or transported in the same or different transportation units.

Note that a picked, polymer encapsulated, and shipped item package does not necessarily include all of the items ordered by the customer; a shipped polymer encapsulation may include only a subset of the ordered items available to ship at one time from one fulfillment facility. Also note that the various operations of an order fulfillment facility may be located in one building or facility, or alternatively may be spread or subdivided across two or more buildings or facilities.

The arrangement and order of operations illustrated by FIG. 1 is merely one example of many possible implementations of the operations of an order fulfillment facility. Other types of materials handling, manufacturing, or order fulfillment facilities may include different, fewer, or additional operations and resources, according to different implementations. For example, in some implementations, one or more polymer encapsulation stations may be utilized at receiving 180 such that received stock is encased in a polymer encapsulation prior to placement in inventory.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example view of a bagging station 250 and a polymer encapsulation station 260, according to an implementation. As discussed above, the bagging station 250 may also include sorting operations and/or the bagging station and the polymer encapsulation station 260 may be combined. For explanation purposes, the example will utilize a single item 210.

When an item is ordered, it is picked from inventory and, in this example, arrives at the bagging station 250. The item progresses to the bagging station via a first conveyor 202(1) and is dropped or otherwise placed into a protective bag 208A. As discussed above, the protective bag 208A may be any type of material that provides a barrier between the item 210 and the polymer encapsulation that will be formed around the bagged item. In some instances, the item may already be packaged in a way that makes putting it in a protective bag unnecessary. For example, an item's packaging could act as a sufficient barrier (e.g. clamshell plastic casing). In example implementations where the item is bagged, the item 210 may be placed into the protective bag 208A in an automated manner, such as illustrated below, using robotics to position the item into the protective bag 208A, by a human and/or robotic agent positioned at the bagging station 250, or by other means. For example, if the protective bag is a flexible material that is wrapped around the item, the item may be moved by the conveyor 202(1) onto the protective material and a robotic arm may wrap the protective material around the item.

Once the item 210 is positioned within the protective bag 208A, the protective bag is sealed to form a chemical and/or physical barrier so that the pre-polymer used to form the polymer encapsulation cannot contact the item 210 and adhere to the item. In some implementations, a gas may be introduced into the protective bag 208A as the protective bag is sealed so that the gas and the item are entrained within the protective bag when sealed. The gas may be air, oxygen, hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, etc. In other implementations, gasses may be removed or vacuumed from the bag and the protective bag sealed so that the protective bag is compressed around the item(s) within the protective bag.

Upon sealing, the bagged item is released from the bagging station 250 and progresses to the polymer encapsulation station 260 via a second conveyor 202(2). In some implementations, each time an item is sealed in a protective bag and the sealed protective bag is released, a protective bagging device 207 may automatically position or otherwise prepare another protective bag at the bagging station 250 for the next item or items that are to be bagged.

In some implementations, the second conveyor 202(2) may originate or extend from a base forming device 203 that generates or places a preformed base 201 on the second conveyor 202(2) so that bagged items 210B are positioned on the preformed base when they arrive at the polymer encapsulation station 260. The preformed base may be formed of one or more materials such as, polymer, plastic, corrugate, metal, ceramic, cellulose, paper, etc. In some examples, as illustrated, the preformed base may be in the form of a continuous sheet that is cut to size at the polymer encapsulation station. In other implementations, the polymer base forming device 203 may form or position preformed bases according to the planned polymer encapsulation dimensions for each item, and the second conveyor 202(2) may be coordinated with the bagging station 250 such that, when an item is bagged, sealed and released onto the second conveyor 202(2), the bagged item is positioned onto the preformed base.

In other examples, a preformed base may be positioned under a bagged item as part of the polymer encapsulation process. In still other examples, as discussed further below, a preformed base may not be used. In such examples, the bagged item may be positioned or lifted such that the injected pre-polymer (discussed below) that forms the polymer encapsulation around the bagged item expands around all sides of the item and encases the entire item.

In some implementations, the protective bag 208B when sealed around an item 210B may include one or more access mechanisms 204. The access mechanism may be, for example, a strong flexible material, such as a cord, wire, plastic, string, etc., that is attached to the protective bag and positioned such that it will extend beyond the polymer encapsulation that is formed around the protective bag. When the item is to be removed from the polymer encapsulation, the exposed portion of the access mechanism may be pulled, thereby disrupting or tearing the polymer encapsulation and providing access to the item and/or the protective bag that contains the item. In some implementations, the access mechanism may be configured to, when activated, disrupt or tear the polymer encapsulation and open the protective bag.

When the protective bag that contains an item arrives at the polymer encapsulation station, an encapsulation cavity 209 is positioned around the bagged item so that the bagged item is positioned within a cavity formed by surfaces of the encapsulation cavity. The encapsulation cavity 209 may be any configuration of walls or surfaces that may be positioned around the bagged item to form a cavity. In the illustrated example, the encapsulation cavity is raised or lowered from above a polymer encapsulation table 213. Multiple different sizes of polymer encapsulation cavities 209 may be positioned above the table and lowered onto the polymer encapsulation table 213 depending on the size and/or dimensions of the bagged item 208C.

In other examples, the encapsulation cavity may be a series of temporary walls or surfaces that may be lowered from above the polymer encapsulation table 213, that extend upward from within the polymer encapsulation table 213 and/or that move laterally on the polymer encapsulation table 213. In general, the encapsulation cavity may be any size, shape, and/or type of surface that may be positioned around the bagged item 208 to form a cavity into which a pre-polymer may be injected to form a polymer encapsulation that encases the bagged item. The surfaces of the encapsulation cavity 209 may be rigid or flexible, straight, curved, etc., and formed of any one or more materials. For example, the surfaces of the encapsulation cavity 209 may be metal, plastic, glass, etc.

In some implementations, the encapsulation cavity may include a non-stick surface (e.g., perfluorinated) or be prepared with a release agent (e.g., carnauba wax, canola oil, olive oil, vegetable oil, silicone, etc.) so that the pre-polymer used to form the polymer encapsulation around the bagged item does not adhere to the surfaces of the encapsulation cavity. For example, the polymer encapsulation station 260 may include a release agent applicator that periodically applies a release agent to the surfaces of the encapsulation cavity so that the polymer used to form the polymer encapsulation does not adhere to the surfaces of the encapsulation cavity.

In some implementations, the edges of one or more surfaces of the encapsulation cavity 209 may be sharp or include a blade that may be used to cut or form the preformed base 201 to the size of the cavity. For example, as the encapsulation cavity 209 is lowered onto the polymer encapsulation table 213 around the bagged item 208C, the lower edges of the encapsulation cavity may cut the preformed base 201 to correspond to the size of the cavity formed by the surfaces of the encapsulation cavity 209. In other implementations, the polymer encapsulation table 213 may include blades or other mechanisms to cut or otherwise shape the preformed base to a size and/or shape of the cavity formed by the surfaces of the encapsulation cavity 209.

As discussed further below, the size and/or shape of the polymer encapsulation that is to be formed around a bagged item may vary depending on, for example, the size and/or dimensions of the bagged item, the fragility of the item, the position in a stacking configuration in which the formed polymer encapsulation will be placed, etc. To form the desired size and/or shape of the polymer encapsulation, the surfaces of the encapsulation cavity may be independently positioned around the bagged item or, as illustrated, one of multiple different sizes and/or shapes of encapsulation cavities may be positioned around the bagged item 208C.

In some examples, one or more distance determining elements may be included at the polymer encapsulation station 260 that can measure a distance between the bagged item and one or more surfaces of the encapsulation cavity. Likewise, in some examples, the polymer encapsulation table 213 may include a load cell or other pressure sensor that can measure the position of the bagged item. As an illustrative example, when the bagged item is positioned at the polymer encapsulation stations 260, a pressure sensor of the polymer encapsulation table 213 may determine a position of the bagged item 208C. Planned polymer encapsulation dimensions may be provided to the polymer encapsulation station as part of a polymer encapsulation plan for the item package contained in the protective bag, as discussed further below with respect to FIG. 5. Based on the planned polymer encapsulation dimensions, the surfaces of the encapsulation cavity are temporarily positioned around the bagged item. The distance determining elements of the polymer encapsulation station measure a distance between the protective bag and the surfaces of the encapsulation cavity to confirm that the thickness of the formed polymer encapsulation will be within a minimum and/or maximum polymer encapsulation dimension specified for the item package (see FIG. 5). If the distances are not within the minimum and/or maximum polymer encapsulation dimensions, one or more of the surfaces of the encapsulation cavity may be repositioned and/or the bagged item may be repositioned. The item package and/or the surfaces of the encapsulation cavity may be automatically adjusted and/or manually adjusted.

Once the surfaces of the encapsulations and/or the item package are properly positioned, a pre-polymer is injected from one or more injection ports 211 into the cavity formed by the encapsulation cavity 209 and expands around the bagged item 208C to form a polymer encapsulation that encases the bagged item 208C. Depending on the polymer encapsulation plan for the item package contained within the protective bag, any one or more of a variety of pre-polymers and/or blowing agents may be injected into the cavity to form the polymer encapsulation. For example, the polymer may be polyethylene (low and high density), polyurethane, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyimide, polyesters, silicones, siloxanes, polyvinylchloride, phenolics, polyetherimides, polyphenylene oxide, polychloropren, epoxies, polyacrylates, cellulose acetate, etc., or be a copolymer of these different polymer classes. The blowing agent may be a physical and/or chemical blowing agent that causes cells to form within the polymer encapsulation.

In some implementations, the polymer may be selected to take advantage of rapid, exothermic polymerization reactions that entrain gas within cells of the formed polymer to create a biodegradable and/or recyclable polymer encapsulation. For example, if the polymer is polyurethane, it may be configured to be biodegradable, set rapidly (e.g., in approximately 1-2 minutes), be mechanically strong (e.g., tensile strength of approximately 10-100 megapascals (“MPa”); tear strength of 10-200 kilonewtons per meter (“kN/m”)). Regardless of the polymer used, the polymer that forms the polymer encapsulation has a mechanical strength sufficient to enable the polymer encapsulation to function as a protective barrier for the items of the item package and as a transportation container for the items of the item package so that they do not need to be placed in a traditional corrugated box for shipping.

In some implementations, the mechanical strength of the polymer may be adjusted depending on a planned position in a stacking configuration for the polymer encapsulation. For example, polymer encapsulations that will be positioned on a bottom of a stacking configuration may be configured to have a higher mechanical strength so that they can support more polymer encapsulations stacked on top of the polymer encapsulation.

In implementations where the bagged item is positioned on a preformed base, the injected polymer bonds with the preformed base such that the injected polymer and the preformed base encompass the bagged item and adhere to each other. In implementations that do not utilize a preformed base, the bagged item may be positioned so that the injected pre-polymer can surround all sides of the bagged item and encase the bagged item. For example, the bagged item may be raised a defined distance above the surface of the encapsulation table 213 by a series of pins or extension arms so that the injected pre-polymer can expand under a bottom of the bagged item, in addition to around the sides and top of the bagged item. After a defined period of time (e.g., when the polymer has partially set), the pins or arms may be withdrawn. By withdrawing the pins or arms before the polymer has fully set, the polymer will expand partially or completely into the voids left by removal of the pins or arms.

In some implementations, the polymer encapsulation station may include additional injection ports that are configured to introduce gasses, solvents, colored dyes, fillers, colloidal materials, etc. into the cavity while the pre-polymer is being injected into the cavity. For example, if the polymer encapsulation plan specifies that a gas is to be entrained in the polymer, the specified gas may be emitted from one or more injection ports into the cavity while the pre-polymer is being injected into the cavity so that the gas is entrained in the cells of the formed polymer. The gas may be, for example, air, oxygen, hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, etc. Likewise, one or more colored dyes may be introduced to color the polymer and the resulting polymer encapsulation.

Returning to FIG. 2, after the pre-polymer has been injected into the encapsulation cavity 209, it is determined when a defined amount of time has elapsed that is needed for the polymer to set. As will be appreciated, depending on the polymer used, and/or the polymer properties, the set time may vary. In some implementations, the set time may be reduced by, for example, heating the surfaces of the encapsulation cavity, spraying water or a solvent on the polymer, etc. Once the set time has elapsed, the surfaces of the encapsulation cavity are removed and the polymer encapsulation 200 is routed from the polymer encapsulation station 260. For example, the polymer encapsulation may be routed to shipping operations for shipping to a destination.

In some implementations, the polymer encapsulation may include multiple types of polymers and/or layers of polymers. For example, the polymer encapsulation may be formed of a polymer with large cells that entrain a lighter than air gas. After the polymer encapsulation has formed (e.g., subsequent to the set time) and the encapsulation cavity removed, a secondary polymer may be layered over the polymer encapsulation. The secondary polymer may form a water protective laminate around the polymer encapsulation and/or increase the structural integrity of the polymer encapsulation. For example, if the item is being delivered to a location in which it may remain outside for a period of time, the water protective laminate may be beneficial. Similarly, if the polymer encapsulation is planned to be on or near a bottom of a stacking configuration (e.g., other polymer encapsulations will be stacked on top of the polymer encapsulation), the secondary polymer may be configured to increase the strength of the polymer encapsulation so that it will not crush from the weight of the stacking configuration.

In some implementations, after the polymer has set and/or after multiple layers of polymer have been applied to form the polymer encapsulation, the polymer encapsulation may be held in a buffer or other temporary storage until a second, cure time, has elapsed. The cure time may be a defined time that is needed for the polymer to sufficiently harden before it can be stacked or transported. In some implementations, the cure time may correspond to an approximate cure degree (e.g., 75% cured). Once the cure time has elapsed, the encapsulation cavity may then be routed to shipping or other operations.

As illustrated, and as discussed further below with respect to FIG. 3, one or more access mechanisms 204 may protrude from the polymer encapsulation to enable access to the item(s) encased within the polymer encapsulation.

In some implementations, shipping information may be applied to the polymer encapsulation 200. For example, a printed shipping label may be affixed to the polymer encapsulation 200 so that the polymer encapsulation can be shipped to a destination. In other implementations, a laser or other etching device may be utilized to etch or imprint shipping information directly into a surface of the polymer encapsulation 200. In still another example, the shipping information may be printed or applied directly onto the surface of the polymer encapsulation.

In another example, the shipping information may be applied to an exposed side of the preformed base. For example, either before, during, or after the polymer encapsulation is formed, shipping information may be applied to the preformed base. By applying the shipping information to the preformed base, it is not visually discernable by individuals located within the facility because it is on the surface of the conveyor and not exposed.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a polymer encapsulation 300 that includes an item 310 for shipping, according to an implementation. In this example, the item 310 has been placed in a protective bag 308 and positioned on a preformed base 302B. A pre-polymer was injected around the bagged item and expanded to form the upper portion of polymer encapsulation 302A, which bonded with the preformed base 302B to fully encase the protective bag 308 and the item 310 in a polymer encapsulation 300. Likewise, shipping information 312 has been applied to the polymer encapsulation 300 so that the polymer encapsulation 300 that contains the item 310 can be shipped to a destination.

In this example, the polymer encapsulation 300 includes two access mechanisms 304, 306. The first access mechanism 304 extends from the protective bag 308, through the upper portion of the polymer encapsulation 302A and is exposed outside of the polymer encapsulation 300 so that it can be activated by a customer. For example, the customer may pull on the access mechanism 304 which will cause a disruption or tear in the polymer encapsulation, thereby providing access to the item.

The second access mechanism 306 is incorporated into the bond formed between the preformed base 302B and the upper portion of the polymer encapsulation 302A. In some implementations, the mechanical strength of the bond between the upper portion of the encapsulation 302A and the preformed base 302B may be the weakest portion of the polymer encapsulation, thereby making activation of the access mechanism easier. In this example, the access mechanism 306 is a string that is woven within the bond formed between the upper portion of the polymer encapsulation 302A and the preformed base 302B. When the access mechanism 306 is activated (e.g., pulled by a customer), that string disrupts the bond separating at least a portion of the upper portion of the polymer encapsulation 302A from the preformed base 302B so that the encased item can be accessed by the customer.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a stacking configuration 400 situated on a transportation unit 402, in one implementation. In this example, stacked polymer encapsulations 404, 406, 408, 410, 412, 414, 416, 418, 420, represented as non-shaded blocks, are polymer encapsulations that have already been placed on the transportation unit 402 according to a stacking configuration. Planned polymer encapsulations 422, 424, 426, 428, 430, 432, 434, represented by the cross-hatched blocks, are polymer encapsulations that have not yet been stacked on the transportation unit but have been planned for stacking at the respective positions in the stacking configuration for the transportation unit 402.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, for some of the planned polymer encapsulations, there is a sequence to which they need to be added to the stacking configuration. For example, planned polymer encapsulation 430 needs to be added to the stacking configuration 400 before planned polymer encapsulation 432. However, other planned polymer encapsulations may be added in any order with respect to each other. For example, planned polymer encapsulations 422, 424, 426, 428 and 434 may be added to the transportation unit independent of one another. For planned polymer encapsulations that need to be added in sequence with respect to one another, they may be sequenced at picking, sorting, bagging, polymer encapsulation, and/or stacking, as discussed above.

As also illustrated by the stacking configuration 400, the stacking engine may plan placement of polymer encapsulations to generate level surface areas for the next layer of polymer encapsulations. For example, planned polymer encapsulation 432 has been selected and has dimension values so that, when placed on the stacking configuration 400, its top surface will be level with the top surface of stacked polymer encapsulation 418, thereby providing a larger, level surface area onto which another layer of polymer encapsulations may be stacked. Likewise, planned polymer encapsulations 422, 424, 426, 430 have been selected and arranged adjacent to stacked polymer encapsulation 412 to provide a larger, level surface area that can be used for additional layers of polymer encapsulations. To provide this configuration, planned polymer encapsulation 426 may not include an item package. Instead, its formation was instructed by the stacking engine for placement adjacent to planned polymer encapsulations 424, 430 to provide a larger, level top layer surface. Alternatively, one or both of the polymer encapsulations may have been planned to be larger and/or have a different shape. Likewise, the height of planned polymer encapsulation 428 may have been increased to match the height of planned polymer encapsulation 434 and stacked polymer encapsulation 416.

In some implementations, standards or policies may be considered in planning a stacking configuration, such as a default placement for certain polymer encapsulations or a specific stacking algorithm to be assumed when planning polymer encapsulations, and/or polymers to use in forming polymer encapsulations. For example, various policies may specify that the polymer encapsulations with the largest and/or heaviest items be placed horizontally along the bottom of the transportation unit and that polymer encapsulations with smaller and/or lighter items be placed on top of the larger items. Likewise, policies may specify that polymer encapsulations that contain heavier items, and/or polymer encapsulations that are positioned toward the bottom of a stacking configuration, be formed with a polymer having a higher mechanical strength than those encasing lighter items or positioned toward a top of a stacking configuration.

Providing larger, level surface areas onto which additional polymer encapsulations may be stacked helps improve stability of the stacking configuration and allows for additional polymer encapsulations to be stacked. As can be appreciated, multiple configurations may be made with polymer encapsulations and the illustration provided in FIG. 4 is only one example. Likewise, as discussed above, in some implementations, the polymer encapsulations may be formed so that when stacked they mate or interlock, further increasing the stability of the stacking configuration.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating an example polymer encapsulation determination process 500, according to an implementation. The process is illustrated as a collection of blocks in a logical flow graph. Some of the blocks represent operations that can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination thereof. In the context of software, the blocks represent computer-executable instructions stored on one or more computer-readable media that, when executed by one or more processors, perform the recited operations. Generally, computer-executable instructions include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures and the like that perform particular functions or implement particular abstract data types.

The computer-readable media may include non-transitory computer-readable storage media, which may include hard drives, floppy diskettes, optical disks, CD-ROMs, DVDs, read-only memories (ROMs), random access memories (RAMs), EPROMs, EEPROMs, flash memory, magnetic or optical cards, solid-state memory devices, or other types of storage media suitable for storing electronic instructions. In addition, in some implementations, the computer-readable media may include a transitory computer-readable signal (in compressed or uncompressed form). Examples of computer-readable signals, whether modulated using a carrier or not, include, but are not limited to, signals that a computer system hosting or running a computer program can be configured to access, including signals downloaded or uploaded through the Internet or other networks. Finally, the order in which the operations are described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described operations can be combined in any order and/or in parallel to implement the process. Likewise, additional or fewer operations than those described may be utilized with the various implementations described herein.

The example process 500 begins by determining stored item dimensions and characteristics for items of an item package that is to be encased in a polymer encapsulation for shipment, as in 502. Stored item dimensions and/or characteristics may be provided by manufacturers, sellers, or vendors of items, measured by a dimension measurement tool within the facility, estimated based on received information, and/or based on a process of successive approximation as the items are handled within the facility. Item characteristics may specify a weight of the item, a fragility of the item, handling requirements, whether the item is hazardous, etc.

In some implementations, assumptions about item dimensions may be made or item dimensions may be assigned according to a standard algorithm, or company policy, in order to facilitate the planning of the polymer encapsulation. For example, in one implementation, the item dimension having the largest value may be designated to be the “length,” the dimension having the second largest value may be designated to be the “height,” and the dimension having the smallest value may be designated to be the “width” of the item.

In one implementation, the volume of an item package may be defined to be equal to the volume of a three-dimensional bounding box having length, width, and height equal to the length, width, and height of the items contained in the item package when placed in a protective bag. In some implementations, the volume and dimensions of a group of items may be defined, respectively, to be the volume and corresponding dimensions of a three-dimensional bounding box having sufficient length, width, and height to encase all the items in the item package. For example, a volume of a bounding box surrounding the items of the item package may be calculated. This may be done according to guidelines and conventions for arranging items for shipment (e.g., the algorithm may specify that the largest and/or heaviest item should be placed horizontally on the bottom and additional items may be placed on top of, or next to, this item in order of their largest dimension value, their weight, etc.).

Based on the stored item dimension values and characteristics, initial polymer encapsulation dimensions are determined, as in 504. For example, initial polymer encapsulation dimensions may be made such that the polymer encapsulation is a defined percentage larger than the item dimension values. The defined percentage may be based on a classification or fragility of the item, a weight of the item, etc. For example, if the item is fragile, the polymer encapsulation dimensions may be larger so the protective barrier formed around the item is thicker. In some implementations, a minimum polymer encapsulation dimension may be established that specifies a minimum size and/or minimum distance between the item and an external portion of the polymer encapsulation. Likewise, a maximum polymer encapsulation dimension may be specified. For example, the maximum polymer encapsulation dimension may be specified dependent on a type or position of the access mechanism that is used to disrupt the polymer encapsulation. If the polymer encapsulation is too thick, activation or use of the access mechanism may be hindered.

A transportation unit into which the item, when encased in a polymer encapsulation, will be placed for shipment and a position in the stacking configuration within the transportation unit is also determined, as in 506. Upon determining the initial polymer encapsulation dimensions, the dimensions may be provided to a stacking engine that plans a position for the polymer encapsulation based on the initial dimensions. The stacking engine, upon determining a position in a stacking configuration for a transportation unit, may provide the information back to the example process 500. In some implementations, the stacking configuration may also increase one or more dimensions of the polymer encapsulation dimension values and/or adjust a shape/size of the polymer encapsulation to improve the stability of a stacking configuration that will include the polymer encapsulation and/or so that the polymer encapsulation will fit in or on a transportation unit according to a stacking plan.

Customer preferences for a polymer encapsulation may also be determined and considered by the example process 500, as in 508. Customer preferences may indicate a preferred shape, size, color, amount of space between the item and the polymer encapsulation, whether the polymer encapsulation should be biodegradable, recyclable, the type and/or location of an access mechanism, etc.

Based on the polymer encapsulation dimensions, item dimensions, item characteristics, transportation unit, planned position in a stacking configuration, and/or customer preferences, polymer properties for the polymer encapsulation are determined, as in 510. Polymer properties may include the type of polymer to be used, the cell density of the polymer, cell volume, open/closed cell structure, tear strength, tensile strength, crush resistance, bursting strength, puncture resistance, waterproof or water repellant properties, buoyancy, heat stability and insulation, stability, shelf life, whether the polymer is biodegradable, renewable, bio-compatible, compostable, malleability, non-toxic, recyclable, whether and/or a type of gas to be injected into the polymer so that it is entrained in the cells of the polymer, a color of the polymer, a set time for the polymer, a cure time for the polymer, etc.

Based on the collected information and determined polymer properties, a polymer encapsulation plan is established that specifies the polymer encapsulation dimensions, polymer encapsulation shape, a maximum polymer encapsulation dimension, a minimum polymer encapsulation dimension, polymer properties, a label type and/or position, whether to inject or remove gas from the protective bag, a set time, a cure time, etc., as in 512.

As discussed above, the polymer encapsulation plan may be used by the polymer encapsulation station to position the surfaces of the encapsulation cavity around the item package, to select an appropriate polymer, gas, color, etc., for injecting and forming the polymer encapsulation, when to remove the encapsulation cavity, etc. Likewise, the polymer encapsulation plan may be utilized by the bagging station to determine whether to inject gas into the protective bag or remove gas from the protective bag, etc. Likewise, the polymer encapsulation process 600 may utilize the polymer encapsulation plan, as discussed further below with respect to FIG. 6.

Upon generating the polymer encapsulation plan, the example process 500 completes, as in 514.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of an example polymer encapsulation process 600, according to an implementation. The example process begins upon receipt of a bagged item (or bagged item package) at a polymer encapsulation station, as in 602. As discussed above, a bagged item may arrive at a polymer encapsulation station via automated means, such as a conveyor, and/or be positioned at the polymer encapsulation station manually by an agent.

When the bagged item is at the polymer encapsulation station, an encapsulation cavity is positioned around the bagged item, as in 604. Any variety of techniques may be used to position an encapsulation cavity around the bagged item. For example, as discussed above with respect to FIG. 2, one of many different sized/shaped encapsulation cavities may be positioned around the bagged item. Alternatively, one or more vertical surfaces or walls may be independently moved or positioned around the bagged item to form the encapsulation cavity.

As the surfaces of the encapsulation cavity are moved into position, a determination is made as to whether a distance between the surfaces of the encapsulation cavity and the bagged item are less than a minimum polymer encapsulation distance specified for the polymer encapsulation, as in 606. For example, if the distance between one of the vertical surfaces of the encapsulation cavity is less than a minimum distance from the bagged item, it is determined that the distance between the encapsulation cavity and the bagged item is less than the minimum distance.

If it is determined that the distance between the encapsulation cavity and the bagged item is less than the minimum distance, one or more surfaces of the encapsulation cavity and/or a position of the bagged item is adjusted. For example, if only one of the surfaces of the encapsulation cavity is less than the minimum distance from the bagged item, the position of that surface may be adjusted so it is not less than the minimum distance from the bagged item. In another example, if one of the surfaces of the bagged item is less than the minimum distance and one of the surfaces is greater than the maximum distance, the bagged item may be repositioned so that the minimum distances and maximum distances are satisfied. Alternatively, or in addition thereto, the positions of the surfaces of the encapsulation cavity may also be adjusted, as in 610.

In some implementations, a similar determination and/or adjustments may be made to ensure that the distance between the bagged item and one or more surfaces of the polymer encapsulation cavity does not exceed a maximum distance.

After adjusting the position of one or more of the surfaces of the encapsulation cavity and/or the position of the bagged item, or upon determining that the distance between the surfaces of the encapsulation cavity and the bagged item is not less than the minimum distance, a pre-polymer is injected into the cavity formed by the encapsulation cavity surfaces such that the formed polymer fills the cavity and surrounds the bagged item, as in 612. Injection of the pre-polymer may continue until the polymer has expanded and filled the cavity and/or until a defined amount of pre-polymer has been injected.

In some implementations, other additives, such as gasses, colored dyes, etc., may also be injected into the cavity while the pre-polymer is being injected so those additives are entrained in the cells of the polymer and/or affect the polymer in other ways (e.g., by altering a color of the polymer).

After the pre-polymer has been injected into the cavity, the formed polymer is allowed to set for a predetermined period of time, as may be specified in the polymer encapsulation plan. The example process 600 will determine if the defined time (polymer set time) has elapsed, as in 614. If the defined time has not elapsed, the example process 600 returns to block 614 and continues.

When it is determined that the defined set time has elapsed, the surfaces of the encapsulation cavity that formed the cavity are removed from around the polymer encapsulation that has been formed by the injected pre-polymer, as in 616. Additionally, shipping information is added to the polymer encapsulation so that the encased item may be shipped to a destination, as in 618. As discussed above, the shipping information may be etched, imprinted, or printed directly onto the polymer encapsulation. Alternatively, the shipping information may be printed on a label that is applied to the polymer encapsulation. In some implementations, the shipping information may be applied to a preformed base that is positioned underneath the bagged item and bonded with the polymer to form the polymer encapsulation.

If the shipping information is applied to the preformed base, it may be applied to the preformed base before, during, or after the pre-polymer is injected into the cavity around the item and the polymer encapsulation formed.

After removing the surfaces of the encapsulation cavity, a determination is made as to whether a second defined time, referred to as a cure time, has elapsed, as in 619. The cure time is a defined time necessary for the polymer encapsulation to reach a cure degree (e.g., 75% cured). This cure time and/or the cure degree may vary for different polymer encapsulations based on the item encased in the polymer encapsulation, the position of the polymer encapsulation in a stacking configuration, based on the polymer properties, etc. For example, if the polymer encapsulation will be positioned toward a bottom of a stacking configuration and other polymer encapsulations stacked on top of the polymer encapsulation, the cure time may be longer so that the cure degree is higher, resulting in increased mechanical strength. In comparison, if the polymer encapsulation will be at the top of the stacking configuration, it may have a reduced cure time.

If it is determined that the cure time has not elapsed, the example process returns to decision block 619 and awaits expiration of the cure time. Once the cure time has elapsed, the polymer encapsulation is released to other operations, as in 620. For example, upon expiration of the cure time, the polymer encapsulation may be released to shipping operations for stacking in a stacking configuration. In some examples, the polymer encapsulation may be removed from the polymer encapsulation station and retained in a buffer or remain on a conveyor until the cure time has elapsed before it is released to other operations. By removing the polymer encapsulation from the polymer encapsulation station while the polymer encapsulation is curing, other polymer encapsulations may be formed.

As will be appreciated, other aspects may be incorporated into or omitted from the examples processes 500 and/or 600 and the order in which the processes are performed are only exemplary. For example, the example process 600 may also include steps for positioning and/or including the access mechanism in the polymer encapsulation, elevating the bagged item with one or more pins and/or arms prior to injecting the polymer, removing the pins and/or arms prior to the polymer setting, etc.

Various operations of a packaging information system, such as those described herein, may be executed on one or more computer systems, interacting with various other devices in a materials handling facility, according to various implementations. One such computer system is illustrated by the block diagram in FIG. 7. In the illustrated implementation, a computer system 700 includes one or more processors 710A, 710B through 710N, coupled to a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium 720 via an input/output (I/O) interface 730. The computer system 700 further includes a network interface 740 coupled to the I/O interface 730, and one or more input/output devices 750. In some implementations, it is contemplated that a described implementation may be implemented using a single instance of the computer system 700 while, in other implementations, multiple such systems or multiple nodes making up the computer system 700 may be configured to host different portions or instances of the described implementations. For example, in one implementation, some data sources or services (e.g., stacking engine) may be implemented via one or more nodes of the computer system 700 that are distinct from those nodes implementing other data sources or services (e.g., routing operations).

In various implementations, the computer system 700 may be a uniprocessor system including one processor 710A, or a multiprocessor system including several processors 710A-710N (e.g., two, four, eight, or another suitable number). The processors 710A-710N may be any suitable processor capable of executing instructions. For example, in various implementations, the processors 710A-710N may be general-purpose or embedded processors implementing any of a variety of instruction set architectures (ISAs), such as the x86, PowerPC, SPARC, or MIPS ISAs, or any other suitable ISA. In multiprocessor systems, each of the processors 710A-710N may commonly, but not necessarily, implement the same ISA.

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium 720 may be configured to store executable instructions and/or data accessible by the one or more processors 710A-710N. In various implementations, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium 720 may be implemented using any suitable memory technology, such as static random access memory (SRAM), synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM), nonvolatile/Flash-type memory, or any other type of memory. In the illustrated implementation, program instructions and data implementing desired functions, such as those described above, are shown stored within the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium 720 as program instructions 725 and data storage 735, respectively. In other implementations, program instructions and/or data may be received, sent or stored upon different types of computer-accessible media, such as non-transitory media, or on similar media separate from the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium 720 or the computer system 700. Generally speaking, a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium may include storage media or memory media such as magnetic or optical media, e.g., disk or CD/DVD-ROM coupled to the computer system 700 via the I/O interface 730. Program instructions and data stored via a non-transitory computer-readable medium may be transmitted by transmission media or signals such as electrical, electromagnetic, or digital signals, which may be conveyed via a communication medium such as a network and/or a wireless link, such as may be implemented via the network interface 740.

In one implementation, the I/O interface 730 may be configured to coordinate I/O traffic between the processors 710A-710N, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium 720, and any peripheral devices, including the network interface 740 or other peripheral interfaces, such as input/output devices 750. In some implementations, the I/O interface 730 may perform any necessary protocol, timing or other data transformations to convert data signals from one component (e.g., non-transitory computer-readable storage medium 720) into a format suitable for use by another component (e.g., processors 710A-710N). In some implementations, the I/O interface 730 may include support for devices attached through various types of peripheral buses, such as a variant of the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus standard or the Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard, for example. In some implementations, the function of the I/O interface 730 may be split into two or more separate components, such as a north bridge and a south bridge, for example. Also, in some implementations, some or all of the functionality of the I/O interface 730, such as an interface to the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium 720, may be incorporated directly into the processors 710A-710N.

The network interface 740 may be configured to allow data to be exchanged between the computer system 700 and other devices attached to a network, such as other computer systems, or between nodes of the computer system 700. In various implementations, the network interface 740 may support communication via wired or wireless general data networks, such as any suitable type of Ethernet network.

Input/output devices 750 may, in some implementations, include one or more displays, projection devices, audio output devices, keyboards, keypads, touchpads, scanning devices, voice or optical recognition devices, or any other devices suitable for entering or retrieving data by one or more computer systems 700. Multiple input/output devices 750 may be present in the computer system 700 or may be distributed on various nodes of the computer system 700. In some implementations, similar input/output devices may be separate from the computer system 700 and may interact with one or more nodes of the computer system 700 through a wired or wireless connection, such as over the network interface 740.

As shown in FIG. 7, the memory 720 may include program instructions 725 which may be configured to implement one or more of the described implementations and/or provide data storage 735, which may comprise various tables, databases and/or other data structures accessible by the program instructions 725. In one implementation, the program instructions 725 may include various software modules configured to implement a stacking engine, an item dimension estimator, etc. The data storage 735 may include various data stores for maintaining one or more item lists, data representing physical characteristics of items and/or other item parameter values, polymer characteristics, item package information, etc. The data storage 735 may also include one or more data stores for maintaining data representing delivery related feedback, such as customer ratings, customer preferences, experiences and the like.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the computing system 700 is merely illustrative and is not intended to limit the scope of implementations. In particular, the computing system and devices may include any combination of hardware or software that can perform the indicated functions, including computers, network devices, internet appliances, wireless phones, tablets, etc. The computing system 700 may also be connected to other devices that are not illustrated, or instead may operate as a stand-alone system. In addition, the functionality provided by the illustrated components may in some implementations be combined in fewer components or distributed in additional components. Similarly, in some implementations, the functionality of some of the illustrated components may not be provided and/or other additional functionality may be available.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, in some implementations, the functionality provided by the methods and systems discussed above may be provided in alternative ways, such as being split among more software modules or routines or consolidated into fewer modules or routines. Similarly, in some implementations, illustrated methods and systems may provide more or less functionality than is described, such as when other illustrated methods instead lack or include such functionality respectively, or when the amount of functionality that is provided is altered. In addition, while various operations may be illustrated as being performed in a particular manner (e.g., in serial or in parallel) and/or in a particular order, those skilled in the art will appreciate that, in other implementations, the operations may be performed in other orders and in other manners. The various methods, apparatus, and systems as illustrated in the figures and described herein represent example implementations. The methods and systems may be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination thereof in other implementations. Similarly, the order of any method may be changed and various elements may be added, reordered, combined, omitted, modified, etc., in other implementations.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that, although specific implementations have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the appended claims and the elements recited therein. In addition, while certain aspects are presented below in certain claim forms, the inventors contemplate the various aspects in any available claim form. For example, while only some aspects may currently be recited as being embodied in a computer-readable storage medium, other aspects may likewise be so embodied. Various modifications and changes may be made as would be obvious to a person skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. It is intended to embrace all such modifications and changes and, accordingly, the above description is to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for preparing an item for shipping, comprising: receiving an order for an item that is to be shipped to a destination; placing the item in a protective bag such that the protective bag contains the item; positioning an encapsulation cavity around the protective bag that contains the item; injecting a pre-polymer into the encapsulation cavity to form a polymer that expands and substantially encases the protective bag that contains the item, thereby forming a polymer encapsulation around the protective bag that contains the item, wherein: the polymer that forms the polymer encapsulation has a mechanical strength sufficient to enable the polymer encapsulation to function as a protective physical barrier for the item and as a transportation container for the item; determining that a defined period of time has elapsed following injection of the pre-polymer into the encapsulation cavity; removing the encapsulation cavity; and applying shipping information to the polymer encapsulation that indicates the destination.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: placing the protective bag that contains the item on a preformed base; and wherein positioning the encapsulation cavity around the protective bag includes positioning the encapsulation cavity around the protective bag and the preformed base such that the pre-polymer, when injected into the encapsulation cavity, will expand and bond with the preformed base.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the preformed base includes an access mechanism incorporated into at least a portion of the preformed base, such that the access mechanism, when activated, will cause at least a portion of the preformed base to separate from the polymer encapsulation.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the protective bag includes an access mechanism that extends outside of the polymer encapsulation, wherein the access mechanism, when activated, will form an opening in the polymer encapsulation such that the item can be removed.
 5. A polymer encapsulation forming apparatus, comprising: a base surface upon which an item to be encased in a polymer encapsulation may be positioned; an encapsulation cavity that may be removably positioned around the item when the item is positioned on the base surface; and an injection port configured to inject a pre-polymer into a cavity formed by the encapsulation cavity and the base surface when the encapsulation cavity is positioned on the base surface, the pre-polymer operable to expand within the cavity and substantially encompass the item forming a polymer encapsulation around the item, wherein: the polymer that forms the polymer encapsulation has a mechanical strength sufficient to enable the polymer encapsulation to function as a protective barrier for the item and as a transportation container for the item.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising: a second injection port configured to inject a gas into the cavity as the pre-polymer is injected such that at least a portion of the gas is entrained within the polymer that forms the polymer encapsulation.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the gas is at least one of air, hydrogen, helium, oxygen, nitrogen, or carbon dioxide.
 8. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising: a second injection port configured to inject a colored dye into the cavity as the pre-polymer is injected such that the colored dye alters a color of the polymer that forms the polymer encapsulation.
 9. The apparatus of claim 5, the encapsulation cavity further including: a plurality of surfaces that may be positioned around the item to form the cavity, wherein a position of each of the plurality of vertical surfaces is determined based at least in part on a dimension of the item.
 10. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein a volume of the cavity formed by the encapsulation cavity is determined based at least in part on a size of the item, a dimension of the item, a fragility of the item, a planned position in a stacking configuration for the polymer encapsulation, or a customer preference.
 11. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein: a preformed base is positioned between the base surface and the item; and the pre-polymer, when injected into the cavity, bonds with the preformed base.
 12. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising: a release agent applicator configured to apply a release agent to an inner-side of the encapsulation cavity such that the polymer does not adhere to the encapsulation cavity.
 13. A computing system, comprising: one or more processors; and a memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processor to at least: determine a dimension value for an item to be encased in a polymer encapsulation based at least in part on a measurement of the item, wherein the polymer encapsulation is formed of a polymer that has a mechanical strength sufficient to enable the polymer encapsulation to function as a protective barrier for the item and as a transportation container for the item; determine polymer encapsulation dimensions for the polymer encapsulation such that the polymer encapsulation will encase the item and provide a protective barrier around the item; cause an encapsulation cavity to be positioned around the item; cause a pre-polymer to be injected into the cavity to form a polymer that expands and forms the polymer encapsulation around the item; and cause shipping information to be applied to the polymer encapsulation.
 14. The computing system of claim 13, wherein the program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors to cause shipping information to be applied to the polymer encapsulation include instructions that further cause the one or more processors to at least: cause the shipping information to be imprinted into a side of the polymer encapsulation.
 15. The computing system of claim 13, wherein the program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to at least: determine that a distance between the item and a surface of the encapsulation cavity is less than a minimum distance; and cause a size of the encapsulation cavity to be adjusted such that the distance between the item and the surface is equal to or greater than the minimum distance.
 16. The computing system of claim 13, wherein the program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to at least: determine that a defined time has elapsed since the polymer was injected into the cavity; and cause the encapsulation cavity to be removed from around the item and the polymer encapsulation.
 17. The computing system of claim 13, wherein: the polymer encapsulation, when formed, includes an access mechanism, and the access mechanism, when activated, will form an opening in the polymer encapsulation such that the item can be removed from the polymer encapsulation.
 18. The computing system of claim 13, wherein the program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to at least: determine that a defined time has elapsed since the polymer was injected into the cavity; and release the polymer encapsulation to a shipping operation.
 19. The computing system of claim 13, wherein the program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to at least: cause the item to be placed in a protective bag such that the protective bag contains the item; cause a gas to be injected into the protective bag such that the protective bag is expanded around the item; and cause the protective bag to be sealed such that the gas and the item are entrained in the protective bag.
 20. The computing system of claim 13, wherein the program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to at least: cause the item to be placed in a protective bag such that the protective bag contains the item; cause a gas to be removed from the protective bag such that the protective bag is compressed around the item; and cause the protective bag to be sealed such that the protective bag remains compressed around the item. 